Many of my friends will tell you that I love to workout and try new workouts but yoga is not my thing. I have tried a few studios here and there and find it is too slow for me. Ironically enough, it is probably the one thing I need for my body and my mind. The simple fact that I can never shut off my brain would tell you that meditation and yoga should be at the top of my list!
Well, the Fitness Hero has been raving about Jennifer Isaacson for about a year now. Finally I decided there were no excuses given she teaches a lunch time class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at my home base. I finally dragged myself out into the rain and went for it.
Anytime I get ready for a yoga class, I prepare myself for a slower, quieter, relaxed energy. I remind myself that it is going to test my patience (but that it is a good thing!) And I have to remind myself that I am not here to get an energy boosting cardio workout. Generally I am giving myself a pep talk just to get through the door.
Jennifer pretty much blew all of that out of the water. From the moment she walked into the room, I loved her energy. She came in sporting a sweatshirt with the hood on and a bomber jacket over it. She topped off the outfit with a pair of big, gorgeous gold earrings. Enough. Said. She is a badass.
Jennifer's philosophy is simple - do what feels right for you. What I appreciated most was this was consistently stressed throughout the entire class. It was less about poses and more about giving your body a chance to stretch, feel good and push yourself in a different way than you normally would in any other workout. The Vinyasa Flow class was 75 minutes which is normally a bit on the long side for me but I hardly noticed. Jennifer moved us through different poses at the perfect pace for me and her energy was so positive and uplifting that it was exactly what I needed for a lunchtime workout. Her style is unique in the sense that she tells great stories throughout the class. And her sense of humor had me giggling on and off. I know this may not be the traditional type of yoga for some folks but for someone with a short attention span, this actually helped me stay present and focused on the class.
We ended the class with a neck stretch (per my request) by placing two tennis balls on a yoga block and laying our neck down between the two balls. It was such a simple stretch but felt so good.
I left the class feeling so good. My body needed this more than I realized and I was grateful to have such a positive instructor help me through the class. It wasn't until I got back into the car that I realized I had actually shut off my mind during the class. Amazing... talk about yoga for the soul...
Jennifer teaches across Seattle and also hosts yoga retreats. Check out her website: www.jenniferisaacson.com
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 0/5
Core: 1/5
Arms: 1/5
Legs: 1/5